 |
Caravan Battery Charger and Solar PanelThe caravan battery charger took a long time before we found out how it work. We want to be totally independent, if necessary and a desire to stay away from powered sites. The things we ask ourselfes are “What’s involved in installing a Caravan Battery Charger into the carriage, how long can we use it for and how do I maintain its charge?”We choose a deep cycle battery , designed to fully recharge from flat with no compromise to its life expectancy. This has to do with the construction of the plates within the battery itself. We are using the battery without the ability to steadily recharge, a deep cycle battery will be advantageous.
The things we ask ourselfes are “What’s involved in installing a battery into the caravan, how long can we use it for and how do I maintain its charge?” Deep Cycle We choose a deep cycle battery , designed to fully recharge from flat with no compromise to its life expectancy. This has to do with the construction of the plates within the battery itself. We are using the battery without the ability to steadily recharge, a deep cycle battery will be advantageous.
Storage An issue with the battery is where to put it? It’s in need for external ventilation to expel gases and access for maintenance. We have build it in on the box, under the seat. There is good utilization of space and this is fine for the battery given that the position is vented to the outside. We need to check fluid levels periodically so access must be practical. We heard about batteries fail prematurely because fluid levels have been ignored so we check this regularly!
Keep the battery charged. We choose a Solar Panel which delivers 125 Watt to a battery of 110 Ampere. The panel does not work only on sunshine, daylight is enough. Whitin 4 hours the battery is charged to its fullest. A solar panel makes us self-sufficient. It’s fitted to the roof of the caravan. It’s on a fixed place. No need for move around over the course of the day to maximize input. However we have a decent size panel, 125 watts capacity, and this generally provide enough power even on shady sites. Inside the caravan we have a solar control panel where we can see how much we use and when the battery gets low. Most of our equipment is on 12 volt. However there are times we need more than the solar panel can deliver. When we arrive at a place where we can use electricity we connect the whole system to the net.
Living Thing Most important is the need to keep some charge up the battery when it is not in use. Batteries all discharge to some extent. In fact they are more likely to fail prematurely from lack of use not over use! A regulated charger or solar panel keeps the battery healthy when not in use. We think of our caravan battery charger and the battery itself as “a living thing” that needs feeding all the time.
Books about Solar Energy, usefull help!Renewable Energy Solutions E-BookThe Bible" for people wishing to Live Off Grid Quote from the book Our family has believed for a very long time that there were no books that really explained renewable energy in simple terms so everyone could understand it. With our 14 years of experience living off the grid, we set out to solve that problem for you. We figured that if we could not build it ourselves or find it at a reasonable price it just wasn't worth doing. There are only a few books out there right now that talk about Renewable Energy and none of them talk about how to do it on "the cheap" and still keep it simple. a Guide to generating power from the sunTeach Yourself Solar PowerFinally, an easy-to-follow guide to generating power from the sun, anywhere! The Solar Power Design Manual Ebook starts from first principles to guide you through the process of designing, specifying and installing your own self-contained solar power system, anywhere in the world.With the Solar Power Design Manual you will learn: • How solar power works, with simple diagrams • How to make the most of the power available • How to choose the right components • The best way to estimate the available solar energy • How to decide when solar power is not the answer • How to make sure that the system continues to work for years to come
End of Caravan Battery Charger back to Antique Carriage Slow Express Ebay!To give you some insight on prices and possibility's for Solar panel, we added Ebay to this page. When you search on Solar panel you find a world of good, profitable solar devices, second hand or new!If you can't find the items on this page try the searchbox or use the "show all items" link on the bottom.
|
